


Insomnia

by Changed_For_Good



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), swan queen - Fandom
Genre: Domestic Swan Queen, Emma helps her out a bit, Established Relationship, F/F, Regina suffers with insomnia, Swan Queen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-07-28 23:43:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7661800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Changed_For_Good/pseuds/Changed_For_Good
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regina couldn't sleep, but afraid of stressing Emma, she keeps it to herself. Or tries to, anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Insomnia

Regina had tried everything. Counting sheep, word association, clearing her mind, even regulated breathing. There was nothing else she could think to attempt, and she still couldn't sleep. It was almost as if sleep was actively avoiding her, as if some part of her literally didn't want to sleep, but she did. It had been 9 days since she'd last slept properly, and the exhaustion was barely hidden. The only reason she hadn't already gotten up and preoccupied her mind with something else was because Emma slept beside her, and Regina didn't want to disturb her, lest she get worried. Regina sighed softly, and shifted into a more comfortable position.

Emma had noticed the change in Regina's behaviour a week ago. She'd become more irritable, more emotional. At first she assumed it was her period, before she remembered that they were on the same cycle, and she still had 15 days to go. It was irrational, and Emma didn't understand at all. Regina had always been snarky and Emma had always adored her sass, but this wasn't either of those. Emma could tell that Regina was at breaking point, and no matter how much Emma tried to reach out to her, Regina repeatedly pushed her away. Emma knew that it wasn't meant to upset her, not on purpose, but it did, simply because she didn't understand why Regina wouldn't let her just _help_ her. That was, of course, until she heard Regina's sigh, heavy and annoyed in the silence of the room. She had been married to Regina for two years now, two years of falling asleep entwined with Regina. Two feeling Regina's chest rise and fall in fitful sleep two years of hearing her slow breaths, two years of gazing at her relaxed facial expression whenever Emma woke up in the night. Regina hadn't let Emma hold her for over a week now, insisting that whilst the season was slipping from summer to autumn, the weather was still to hot to cuddle. Emma been awake for a while now, and laid still in determination to not stir Regina, but the sigh told a truth that Regina had refused to speak; she hadn't been sleeping.

Carefully, Emma propped herself on her elbow, on her side facing Regina. She swept some hair from Regina's face and kissed her on the cheek.  
"You can't sleep?" She asked, dragging her fingertips down Regina's arm.  
"No. But don't worry about me, you need to sleep, Emma." Regina dismissed, shifting to her other side to face her, and covering her hand with her own.  
"So do you. How long has this been going on for, 'gina?" Emma questioned softly. Regina chuckled dryly, knowing Emma wouldn't like the answer.  
"Just over a week or two?" She shrugged.  
"Regina, you should have told me!" Emma whined, taking her hand away from Regina, her eyebrows furrowed in frustration.  
"Why? What could you have done about it, Emma, other than worry?!" Regina snapped, instantly recoiling from the agression of her words. Emma reached out for her hand.  
"I could have been there for you. Made sure you took care of yourself properly, made sure that I didn't get to stressy at you for being snappy, all the things I'm supposed to do and love doing because I'm your _wife_ , Regina." Emma exclaimed, shifting closer to Regina. Regina seemed to go limp, falling in to Emma.  
"I'm sorry. I've been nasty to you this week." She apologised.  
"No, you're exhausted, Regina. It's more than excusable." Emma sighed, holding her tight.  
"I love you, Emma." Regina sniffed, before falling silent for a few moments to compose herself.  
"Part of the reason I didn't tell you was because whenever I've had insomnia before, it's because I've been unhappy. And... I didn't want you to think that I'm unhappy now, because I'm not, I just... can't sleep." Regina explained. Emma listened intently, stroking Regina's hair.  
"I would have supported you if you were unhappy, gina. This isn't one-sided, and I care about you and your mental health. Some things are uncontrollable." Emma assured her, to which Regina smiled softly.  
"What did I do to deserve you?" Regina muttered, staring at Emma.  
"Something _awful_ in a past life." Emma grinned. "Now how about trying to get to sleep, nerd?"  
"You won't believe what I've tried," Regina started, laying down. "I've tried counting, meditating, breathing exercises-"  
"Well here's a good start; why don't you stop talking." Emma sassed, raising an eyebrow at Regina.  
"Here's an even better one: why don't you _make me_?" Regina shot back with a devillish grin. Emma instantly felt the tension seep right into the core of her being, and she knew that Regina meant it. 

Painstakingly slowly, Emma sat up and straddled Regina's hips, watching her breath catch as she leant forwards, until their faces were centimeters apart.  
"Was that a challenge?" Emma growled, planting her hands on either side of Regina's head.  
"Well, my darling Emma," Regina hissed. "Why don't you find out?"  
Emma wasted no time in fusing their lips, hungry and passionate. They'd barely touched in two weeks because Regina was too tired, had a headache, or was too grouchy. Emma never pushed her to have sex, because it stopped being fun if it was forced. Regina grabbed a fist of Emma's hair, pulling her closer. She'd missed this, both the physicality of the contact, and the feeling of being needed. Emma eventually began to kiss lower, along Regina's jaw to her ear, pulling on the lobe gently with her teeth. Regina gasped as Emma continued her journey down her neck, nipping at her pulse point. She sucked there for a few seconds, probably marking the skin. Regina couldn't bring herself to care, moaning softly as her hands wandered from Emma's hair to her shoulders, gripping and scratching at the skin left uncovered by Emma's tank top, and back up to her hair again. Emma began to unbutton Regina's top, each tiny fabric button coming out of it's hole easily. Regina helped shrug it off and discard it to the floor. Suddenly confronted with a mass of skin to kiss and tease, Emma peppered kisses down to Regina's breasts. She ran her thumb around the peak of one nipple, watching as it rapidly hardened. Regina's chest shook with a shuddering breath as Emma blew cold air at the other nipple, before taking it into her mouth. Regina felt the wetness growing between her legs as Emma's tongue swirled around the tip, before abruptly stopping and switching to the other nipple, repeating the process. It was driving Regina insane, and part of her wished that she could come just from that stimulation, as the pain between her legs became unbearable. She fisted both hands in Emma's hair, tugging her downwards.  
"Emma, _please_!" She whined. Emma smiled briefly before acquiecing, kissing down her stomach to her hips. Regina wore no trousers, just her panties. Emma trailed a fingertip over the scrap of turqoise fabric, feeling the incredible wetness. She hooked her fingertips under the waistband of the material, shifting to the side so she could discard of them. She quickly resumed her position between Regina's legs, her favourite position if she was honest with herself. Regina was a gasping mess already, and Emma didn't want to prolong the teasing. She brought her lips to Regina's clit, holding Regina's hips as they bucked wildly against her face. Emma didn't move, pressing her tongue against the tip to elicit a wild moan from Regina. She drew patterns, shapes and letters over Regina's clit, each sending unbearable waves of pleasure through her. She fisted her hands tighter into Emma's hair in a desperate attempt to get enough friction, enough _something_ to give her a release. Emma seemed to sense that Regina was teetering on the edge, bringing a finger to Regina's entrance and burying it inside her. Regina yelled out, arching her back as Emma curled the finger.  
"Emma, more. _Please._ " Regina begged. Emma smiled, releasing her lips from her clit before plunging a second finger into her wife, rubbing her thumb roughly against the exposed tip of the bud. The pressure was amazing, and Regina couldn't contain the scream that rang out as waves of pleasure collapsed over her, blurring her vision and her senses. She was vaguely aware of Emma muttering praises, drawing each aftershock out of her with delicate curls of her fingers. Regina collapsed back, spent.

Emma must have tucked them into the blanket, because she opened her eyes to see Emma holding her.  
"Ok, baby?" She asked, running her fingers through Regina's hair.  
"Amazing... you? Do you want me to-"  
"No," Emma interrupted, sensing Regina's question. "No, I will more than manage without. You're tired, sleep." She insisted, and Regina smiled softly.  
"I love you, Emma."  
"I love you too, 'gina." Emma smiled, kissing her forehead. Regina found that sleep invited her, enticing her eyelids to close. It took her mere moments to be carried away by the darkness of sleep.

Emma watched Regina relax in her arms, her muscles unwinding and her facial features claming. She never looked more peaceful than in her sleep, so untroubled and calm. Glad that Regina was finally asleep, Emma nestled herself into the covers and let herself drift off too.

**Author's Note:**

> I put off publishing this for about a month because it's not one of my favourite works, but I've edited it a few times and can't find any major issues. Maybe I'm just being picky? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Kudos and Comments are always very much appriciated!


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